Crimson Harvest
by RainbowMelody
Summary: HM:MM. A storm looms over Flower Bud Village, and with it comes a torrent of unfortunate incidents. Rated for some cursing and suggestive content. Pairings undecided. [On Hold]
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:** Well, of course, I don't own any of the Harvest Moon characters. xP I think that if I did, I'd be doing more than writing fanfics. And yes, I've taken some creative licence (or something like that) when it comes to talking about the characters' pasts. And that's about it for my notes. Enjoy!

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_Flower Bud Village Sanatorium_  
_Summer 3, 4:02 PM_

An ambulance drove hurriedly down the muddy dirt road leading into the village. Rain poured mercilessly from the heavens, accompanied by ominous rumbles of thunder and bright bolts of occasional lightning. The bright, spinning lights atop the vehicle caught the attention of many eyes, eyes who were quite unaccustomed to seeing such sights in such a small, isolated village.

Gina looked up from her book when the flashes of red caught her eye. She was almost relieved to see it, in a morbid sort of way. For the entire day, she had been unsettled, as if something terrible was about to happen - or already had - and she felt as if she could take no more of this awful suspense.

She gazed out the window and was met with a startling sight. An ambulance, its white form splattered with mud and grime from the drenched village roads, had pulled up right outside the Sanatorium's doors. Gina, being on the upper floor, could hear the commotion down below as Martha and Alex rushed to greet the visitors. The paramedics, soaked through to their skins with rainwater, produced from the back of the ambulance a stretcher. This they carried inside with extreme caution, and Gina quickly realized why: the stretcher carried the form of a person, visible clearly from Gina's lofty window.

"Gina! Gina, for the Goddess' sake, come here!"

Martha's voice. Gina dropped the book - she'd have to apologize to Maria later for damaging it - and dashed down the steps to the first floor.

"What's wrong?" Gina gasped, nearly out of breath.

Martha and Alex remained silent, morbidly so, as the paramedics departed. Gina approached the bed on which the patient had been laid - cautiously, nervously, until she finally found the courage to look upon it. Adjusting her glasses on her petite nose, Gina's wide golden eyes slowly came back into focus.

She laid her eyes on the face of the raven-haired girl laying on the bed and her heart dropped like a stone.

"Oh, Goddess..."

-----

_Moonlight Beach_  
_Summer 3, 4:10 PM_

A solitary figure stood upon the rain-drenched sand of Moonlight Beach, seemingly unaware of the potential danger of the lightning that ripped through the skies above. The sea, choppy and dark, sent waves crashing upon the shore just inches away from the figure's feet.

Shivering both from the cold of the rain and from the sobs that shook her body, Maria shut her eyes tight and listened to the sound of the pouring rain and crashing waves. Her tears mixed with the rain as they flowed in streams down her reddened face. Maria had never felt so alone, so torn apart.

Earlier that afternoon, she had been caught up in an argument with her boyfriend Ray. It seemed that he was always off fishing and never had any time for her. When Ray told Maria that he was breaking a lunch date for a fishing trip to the island just off the coast, it was the last straw for Maria. Her pent-up rage broke free. Ray had told her that if she couldn't respect his values, he would have to leave her. She said that she was fed up with him always breaking dates for fishing - yet again - and that was that.

Ray was gone. He'd gone to the island anyway, barely sparing the break-up a thought. Maria had been waiting on the beach for hours, waiting for his return, and hoping that he would come back and tell her that he was sorry and he'd never fish again.

Now, as the sky grew darker by the minute and the storm worsened, Maria began to realize that it was only in her deepest fantasies that Ray would ever say that he was giving up fishing.

_He's not coming back,_ Maria thought to herself, squeezing her eyes shut tightly, _so why do I keep waiting?_

"Maria," a voice from behind beckoned her. Maria didn't bother to turn around - she knew who the visitor was.

"Maria," Lyla repeated as she came to stand beside Maria. "You really should come inside. Your father's worried sick about you, and the storm's getting worse."

"There's no point," Maria sobbed. "Lyla, why does he have to be like that? Could I have chosen a worse person to fall for?"

Lyla laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You deserve better than him, Maria. Unless Ray can realize how much he's hurt you and that he needs to change, he isn't worth worrying over."

"Easy for you to say," Maria sniffled, turning her reddened brown eyes up to meet Lyla's. "You've never had a boyfriend. And even then... Louis is so caring. He would never hurt you like Ray hurt me."

Lyla blushed, but covered it up with a quick switch back to a serious expression. "Maria, at least come inside. We can talk about this where it's safe. Come on, your father's practically driving himself up the wall with worry."

Maria turned her eyes up to the ocean. "I - " Suddenly she stopped and simply stared ahead in shock.

Lyla noticed the unexpected stop in Maria's voice. "What's wrong? You look - oh, Goddess!"

Lyla, too, had seen what Maria had laid eyes on. Drifting towards them on the waves was a young man in torn clothing, clinging to a piece of driftwood for support in the unforgiving water.

"He's coming into the beach," Maria shouted as the figure in the water drew closer. "Lyla! You have to get the doctor! Please hurry, I don't know if..."

As the young man washed up on the beach, Lyla was off like a shot. "Stay there!" she shouted as she ran, leaving Maria standing in the rain.

Remembering information from the medical textbooks in the library - she'd read nearly everything on the shelves - Maria searched for a pulse with two fingers on the boy's neck and then his wrist. Yes! It was faint, but his heartbeat was present. Maria knelt beside him and listened to his breathing. It, too, was faint, but she could feel a touch of his warm breath on her cheek. The boy had matted brown hair and was dressed in the torn remains of what must have once been a casual outfit - jeans and a short-sleeved shirt.

Fifteen minutes passed. Maria finally heard the sound of Lyla's voice approaching. She and Alex appeared on the horizon just moments later. The pair of them carried a stretcher with them.

Alex was by Maria's side in a heartbeat. "No fractures," he pronounced after a quick examination. "Unconscious, though."

"Let's get him inside," Maria said, following behind Alex and Lyla as they carried the unconscious boy towards the Clinic.


	2. Chapter 2

_Perch Inn_  
_Summer 3, 4:12 PM_

"Gwen?"

The ruby-eyed blonde girl looked up from washing the dishes for a moment, meeting the face of Nami. Nami travelled abroad for most of the year, but always seemed to wind up living in the Perch Inn for the duration of the summer. She seemed to like it in the village - everything was so peaceful there.

"Hey, Nami," Gwen said, her usual enthusiasm drained by the stormy weather. "What's up?"

"I..." Nami paused for a brief moment, eyes worriedly wandering about the room. "I saw an ambulance drive by a few minutes ago. You know, one of those vehicles the paramedics use to..."

"I'm not stupid," Gwen chuckled, drying the last of the plates and draining the sink. "My parents live in the city, I've seen lots of ambulances."

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that one might show up here?" queried Nami.

"Of course," Gwen replied, towelling off her hands. "It probably came from the city. There's a shortage of hospital beds, and the Sanatorium has a few... it's probably nothing serious." She shrugged. "Why? What's bothering you?"

Nami shrugged. "I dunno. I guess I'm just not used to seeing that kind of thing in the city. This village is a kind of escape from all of that."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Gwen said. "You're here to relax, remember?"

"Yeah," Nami said. "I guess so."

Nami retired back to her room on the second floor, leaving Gwen alone on the first floor.

Suddenly, an older man stepped out of the storeroom of the Inn. Gwen remained rather indifferent to his entrance.

"Hey, Uncle Doug," she said. "Done stacking cans?"

"Yep," he replied. "Not much to do around here on a stormy day, is there?"

"Nope. I haven't seen a single customer." She sighed, which was quite unlike her normally cheery self. "Hey, Uncle Doug?"

"Yeah?"

"Nami saw an ambulance drive by a while ago. Don't you think that seems odd? To see one here, I mean."

Doug shrugged. "Yeah, but it's probably nothing we need to be worked up over. I mean, there's that shortage of hospital beds in the city and..."

Gwen sighed, walking towards the back room where she slept. "I've heard it all before, Unc. Thanks."

-----

_Moonlight Café_  
_Summer 3, 4:25 PM_

"Don't forget to wash the dishes, Carl," a voice behind the young man ordered calmly.

"I'm getting there," Carl replied, exasperated but trying his hardest to cover it up. Since he'd been working at the Moonlight Café, his work had continued to become tougher to keep up with. Duke, his boss, was a respectable man, but at the moment Carl burned with hatred for him.

_There's only so much I can do at once,_ he snapped back in thought. _Why don't you try doing some of your own work for a change?_

"Hi, Carl," a voice said.

"What do you want this ti-" Carl was cut short when he looked up and found himself face-to-face with Eve... the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. "H-h-hi, Eve," he stuttered, blushing crimson.

"You look mad," she observed, sitting down on a stool across the counter from him.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's just - " Carl took a deep breath and continued. "It's your uncle, Duke. He's putting more work on me than I can handle. I feel like a slave."

Eve chuckled softly. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but... as long as you're working here, you sort of are a slave."

Carl sighed. "I know, but..."

"There _is_ a difference, you know." Eve smiled.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Carl looked up into Eve's ruby eyes.

"You get paid." Eve stood up and smoothed out the fabric on her dress, departing with another one of those heart-melting smiles. "See you later, servant boy," she joked.

Carl smiled to himself and returned to his work, heart lightened by Eve's visit.

_One day, I'll open a café of my own,_ Carl thought to himself, satisfied. _And then... then, the tables will be turned._


	3. Chapter 3

_The Mayor's Residence_  
_Summer 3, 4:30 PM_

Mayor Theodore paced back and forth across the living room of his house, trying his hardest not to look out the window and into the fierce storm. He looked at the hanging clock on the wall. Four-thirty in the afternoon. It had been hours since Maria had left, and in the back of his mind, Theodore was beginning to wonder if she was ever going to return.

He had sent Lyla after her about a half-hour ago. Dear, dear Lyla. She was the most mature of the young women in the village and had always seemed to know Maria inside-out. If there was one person who could persuade Theodore's daughter to return home, it was Lyla.

Both of them had been gone for what seemed like eternity. Theodore tried to calm himself, thinking: _She's probably fine. Lyla will find her, she'll talk to her, she'll bring her back._

Nothing seemed to work. As a single father, Theodore worried himself sick over nearly everything his daughter did. He'd known that her relationship with Ray would turn sour, but had he said anything? No. Theodore thought of his departed wife; stared at their wedding picture that hung on the wall.

_You would know what to do,_ he thought, shaking his head.

At that instant, the telephone gave a loud ring, startling Theodore out of his thoughts. He found himself rushing toward it. As he gazed at the caller display, his heart nearly stopped.

_The Clinic._ He tried to breathe, tried to calm himself, but the nagging thoughts still pursued him: _Something's happened to Maria._

Theodore lifted the phone from the receiver and whispered a quick "Hello?" into it.

"Dad?" the voice on the other end came, sounding shaky and worried.

"Maria!" Theodore gasped, heart pounding fast in his chest. "Maria, you're all right!"

"Dad, you might want to come over here," Maria's voice continued to speak, barely acknowledging her father's reply. "Something's happened-"

_Click._ The phone went dead.

Theodore did not try to redial the Clinic's number. Instead, he took his raincoat from its hook on the wall and departed without any hesitation, barely heeding the danger of the lightning that blazed across the stormy sky.

-----

_Flower Bud Village Sanatorium_  
_Summer 3, 4:31 PM_

Gina could only stare.

She paid no attention to the new patient who Alex and Lyla had recently brought into the Sanatorium; she paid no attention to Martha's worried expression or Maria's rushing out the door to phone her father from the Clinic.

She had tried to speak, but the words were muddled in Gina's mind before they could be formed and spoken. All of a sudden the world became warped and twisted in a cyclone of emotion and flood of memories.

That face. Cold and lifeless, it was so unlike what Gina had known... and although Gina wished she could tear her eyes away from it, she could not. She was frozen in place, as if her entire body had been paralyzed.

"Gina, dear," Martha said softly, laying a hand on the young nurse's shoulder. "Do you... do you know this girl?"

Gina gulped and nodded, as a tear slipped unnoticed out of her eye and rolled down her cheek.

And in a choked, barely audible whisper, Gina spoke.

"Yes," she said, her voice sounding almost alien to both herself and Martha. "She was my best friend."

-----

_Flashback: The City, Gina's House_  
_Fall 20, 3:18 PM_

The girl gazed out the window, a grin as wide as the ocean spread across her positively glowing face. Her pale blue hair was tied into a ponytail, and her golden eyes gleamed with anticipation behind her glasses.

"Mommy, Dia's here!" she exclaimed as a jet-black car pulled up in front of her house.

"Get the door, honey," came the reply. "I'm going to order pizza."

"Make sure to get a veggie one, Mommy! With peppers and onions and stuff!" the girl shouted as she ran to open the door.

The girl opened the door to meet another girl her age. This girl's shoulder-length black hair was tied back with a thick green ribbon, and she wore a dress that matched both the ribbon and her sparkling emerald eyes in colour. Her smile was small, but shone with happiness all the same.

"Hi, Gina," said the girl at the door. "Happy birthday!"

Gina gasped as she was handed a beautifully wrapped gift. "Thanks, Dia!"

"Am I the first one here?" asked Dia hopefully.

"Yep!" Gina replied. "Rebecca, Kim and Julie are coming later."

"Why don't you open the present?" Dia suggested. "Come on."

Gina shrugged. "Well, okay," she said, untying the ribbon on the small box and tearing the wrapping paper eagerly.

Suddenly her eyes lit up as she lifted out of the box a beautiful golden ring. Set in the ring was a polished piece of coral, perfect in every way.

"Dia!" she gasped, staring at the gift with disbelief. "You didn't have to get me this!"

"Yes, I did," Dia nodded. "You're my best friend, and you've always wanted a coral ring."

Gina grinned from ear to ear as she slid the ring onto her finger. "Oh, thank you, Dia! It's the best present ever!"

-----

_Flower Bud Village Sanatorium_  
_Summer 3, 4:34 PM_

She remembered it like it was yesterday. When the two of them were children, Gina and Dia had been utterly inseperable. But when Dia's parents began to have conflicts, Dia became more and more withdrawn and cold to the world. Gina, too, had grown increasingly shy. By the time that Gina moved to Flower Bud Village, she had all but forgotten Dia and their friendship.

But she remembered now.

Gina looked down at her hands, and realized that all through her reverie, she had been twisting her ring around her now-reddened finger.

It was a beautiful golden ring. Set in the ring was a polished piece of coral, perfect in every way.

_The best present ever._


	4. Chapter 4

_Flower Bud Village Workshop_  
_Summer 3, 4:36 PM_

"Long time no see, Kurt!" Joe's cheerful voice greeted his brother as he walked in the door, soaking wet. "How's the weather?"

Kurt looked at his brother's ecstatic grin and sighed. "Shut up, Joe."

"C'mon, old buddy! What's up? What's happening? What's new?"

Kurt was becoming annoyed. "Shut up, Joe."

"You're such a downer," Joe said, the same stupid grin plastered right across his face. "Lighten up!"

"Shut up, Joe," Kurt huffed, wringing out his bandanna.

"All right, you two," said the voice of Woody from the back room. "Kurt, come inside and dry off. Joe, leave your brother alone."

"Awww!" Joe protested, but an icy glare from Kurt seemed to quiet him. Instead, Joe went back to work on a sofa he'd been making, trying not to let the sour attitudes of everyone else get him down. After all, he didn't want to turn into his brother - a fate worse than death.

"So, Kurt," Woody addressed his apprentice, taking a sip of his herbal tea - unsweetened, he hated sweet foods. "I take it that you had an uneventful walk?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Kurt shrugged. "Except... about a half-hour ago, I was walking past the river and I saw flashing lights. I'm pretty sure it was an ambulance I saw driving down the road, but I can't be sure."

"Odd," Woody nodded. "Odd that they'd send an ambulance out here. Did you see what went on?"

"Nope," Kurt said. "Just saw it driving to the Sanatorium... or at least in that direction."

"Hm." Woody sipped his tea again. "I certainly hope nothing's happened to anyone we know."

Kurt remained silent - he just gave a quick shrug to show his acknowledgement.

"Ouch!" shrieked Joe from the work area. Woody nearly spat out his tea, but Kurt was unfazed.

"What'd you do this time, smart one?" he queried, peering into the room where Joe worked.

"Stepped on a nail." Joe peeled off his left sock - he hadn't been wearing shoes - and, sure enough, a stream of crimson blood flowed from a puncture wound in the sole of his foot. "Hurts like hell!"

"Idiot," Kurt said. "You're supposed to wear your shoes in here."

"Joe, what have I told you about proper footwear in the shop?" Woody's scolding came swiftly, only adding to the sharp pain shooting through Joe's foot.

"You can yell at me later," Joe replied. "I'm bleeding, and I probably have to get a tetanus shot now."

Woody stood from his chair in the back room and walked out to the work area. "Better to get you to the Clinic now than later, then."

Kurt shook his head. "I'll take him. It's not like I can get any wetter."

"All right," Woody agreed. "But be careful. It'll be dark soon."

"Sure will," Joe said, hobbling over to get his shoes. "Uh, Kurt? Might need a little help here."

Kurt sighed, exasperated. "Figures."

-----

_Flower Bud Village Sanatorium_  
_Summer 3, 4:47 PM_

Theodore entered the Sanatorium and sighed with relief. Maria was waiting for him, uninjured. The mayor embraced his daughter for what seemed like forever.

"How did you know how to come here?" she inquired, her eyes filled with questioning.

Kurt made his way over to Maria and Theodore, having just entered the Sanatorium himself with Joe limping beside him. "No one's at home at the Clinic," he said, answering the question for Theodore.

"I'm terribly sorry," Alex said as he rushed towards the group, nearly out of breath. "We're so busy here today, it's nearly impossible for us to keep up with everyone."

"Yeah. Three patients are such a huge workload," Kurt said sarcastically.

Alex glared, but he restrained himself from snapping back. He had work to do.

"How can I help you?" he addressed Joe.

"Stepped on a nail," Joe smiled sheepishly, lifting his bloody foot up a bit for Alex to see. "Do I need a shot?"

"Indeed," Alex said, examining the wound. "A tetanus booster. You should really be more careful in the workshop, Joe."

Joe shrugged. "Sorry. I will."

Alex nodded. "Good. I'll prepare the vaccination for you and be back in a flash."

After Alex left, Joe sat down on a nearby chair and stretched out his foot as if he was allergic to blood. "Ouch," he complained. "This kinda sucks."

"Serves you right for working in the shop in your socks," Kurt said, rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, Kurt laid eyes on Gina, the young nurse sitting by the bed in the corner. He knew that she was usually not a very emotional person, but now he saw her crying.

"Excuse me for a minute, guys," Kurt excused himself politely and departed the small circle of villagers.

He walked up behind Gina, insatiably curious about what was causing her such sorrow. Kurt had, however, not prepared himself for what he was about to see.

The girl laying lifelessly on the bed was beautiful - there were no other words to describe her. Her soft raven-black hair contrasted her porcelain skin in an almost ethereally pretty way. She looked like a princess from one of those fairy-tales that all the children wished they could be in, like Sleeping Beauty... only prettier.

"Who is she?" Kurt found himself whispering out loud.

To his surprise, Gina turned around to face him, her eyes overflowing with bitter tears. Between sobs, she managed a reply, her soft voice choked from crying.

"D-Dia... her name's - Dia."


	5. Chapter 5

_Flower Bud Village Sanatorium_  
_Summer 3, 4:50 PM_

"So, Maria," Theodore addressed his daughter, "why did you call? It sounded urgent."

"I wanted you to know that I was all right," she replied. "And... there's this."

She pulled back the curtain of the hospital bed adjacent to where they were seated to reveal a young man, with parts of his arms bandaged, laying unconscious on the bed.

"He drifted in on the waves," Maria explained, letting the curtain fall back to its proper place. "I spotted him while standing on Moonlight Beach with Lyla."

"If she didn't have such good eyes, he would probably be dead," Lyla agreed, nodding her head.

Theodore blinked, taking in the evening's events much more slowly than he was capable of. "Do you know where he came from?"

Lyla shrugged. "I don't know. A shipwreck, maybe... we get lots of cruise ships and fishing boats just off the coast."

Maria sighed, a distant look in her eye. "I just hope he doesn't have family somewhere who... who think that he is lost to them."

Theodore laid his hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I should hope so too."

A moment of silence was broken by Joe's yelp.

"Ow!"

Maria, Lyla and Theodore all turned to Joe in an instant. He smiled at them sheepishly, and Alex rolled his eyes - he had just administered the needle.

"What?" Joe shrugged. "It hurt!"

A collective eye-roll from the group followed quickly, as Alex began to bandage Joe's foot.

Meanwhile, Kurt found himself unable to stop staring at Dia, the girl as pale as death and as beautiful as the clearest of diamonds. And although he hadn't been told, he knew that her future was uncertain. She could die, right there in the Flower Bud Village Sanatorium, and he could do nothing to help her.

_Goddess, I pray that love at first sight doesn't exist,_ he prayed silently. _Because if this is love, it's the most painful thing I've ever felt._

-----

_Spring Farm_  
_Summer 3, 5:00 PM_

"Almost time to close up," Nina muttered cheerily to herself as she organized a few more seed bags on the shelves. If there was one person who would not let herself be brought down by anything, it was Nina. Like her mother, she was always optimistic, and always happy about something.

A knock at the door snapped Nina into attention. She was quick to attend to it.

_Who could that be?_ she wondered. _I didn't think anyone would be outside in this weather._

"Come in," she called to the visitor.

The door swung open, revealing a bedraggled-looking young man. Both his clothing and the backpack that he carried on his shoulders would have been soaked through if not for his wide-brimmed hat, which seemed to have acted as some sort of umbrella for the rest of him.

"Phew," he said as he stepped inside, removing his hat and letting the water it had collected drip to the ground. "I thought no one would ever answer their doors."

"Basil! For the Goddess' sake, come in! You're soaking wet."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I know. I can usually find some shelter at the gift shop, but Lyla wasn't home."

"Oh." Nina sighed. She secretly hated it when Basil spent time at Lyla's shop - she suspected that it was more than the botanical balms and flower-dyed yarn that kept him going back there. "Isn't that odd."

"I figured I could come here," Basil smiled sweetly. "I, uh, guessed you'd be able to let me stay for a while. Until the storm stops, that is."

"I'm sure it's no problem," Nina grinned. "I can ask my mother if the spare room's free."

"Great!" Basil said. "I'm sorry for invading your house and all, but sleeping in a soaked-through tent isn't exactly a great way to avoid hypothermia."

"Agreed," Nina giggled as she walked into the kitchen where her mother was preparing dinner.

Liz greeted her daughter with a soft smile. "Who's at the door, Nina dear?" she inquired upon her entry.

"Basil's here, and he needs a place to stay. The rain's soaked his camping equipment." Nina put on her trademark 'puppy-dog-eyes' face. "Can he stay here? Please?"

"I suppose," Liz said. "The spare bedroom's fine for him to stay in."

"Great, Mom!" Nina exclaimed. "Thanks!"

"And, Nina?" Liz beckoned, catching her daughter's attention again.

"What?"

"No hanky-panky. If I catch you and Basil..."

"MOM!" Nina stuck her tongue out, rushing out of the room as she did so. "Gross!"

"That's my girl," Liz chuckled to herself.


	6. Chapter 6

_Flower Bud Village Sanatorium_  
_Summer 4, 1:30 AM_

Silence had fallen over the Sanatorium. The lights had been turned out for hours, and most of the villagers had long since gone home. Lyla had left with Theodore and Maria, who had offered to walk her home in the rainstorm. Kurt had been persuaded to help a hobbling Joe travel back to the workshop, despite the cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning in the ominous sky.

Only Gina remained awake.

Glasses removed, and honey-brown eyes reddened from crying, she still shook with sobs every few moments, unable to rest. Although she tried her very hardest not to look upon her childhood friend's lifeless face, the image still haunted her mind even if she closed her eyes. Even so, she squeezed her eyes tight shut again, as if hoping to erase the picture from her memory.

"Gina."

The voice caused the young nurse to flick her eyes to the Sanatorium's door.

"D-Doctor Alex," she said, her voice shaken with sobs. "What...?"

"I was... coming to check on the patient's IV drip," he said, referring to the young man on the bed opposite Dia's.

Gina sighed. "Already d-done," she said. "You knew that... and that's not the reason you came."

Alex shrugged. "You got me."

The nurse wiped a solitary tear from her eye with a handkerchief. "So why... why did you come?"

The doctor took a deep breath, then replied.

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."

Gina blinked, meeting the doctor's dark eyes. Without a word, his hand found hers, their fingers interlacing silently as lightning sliced through the darkness outside.

He kissed her cheek softly, moving closer to her so he could whisper in her ear.

"I love you."

Gina sniffed, suddenly turning around and burying her head in Alex's chest, sobbing heavily.

"I - love you - too," she managed, bursting yet again into tears.

Outside the Sanatorium, and all through the skies over Flower Bud Village, there was a last monstrous roar of thunder, and the storm receded, leaving only a light drizzle of rain in its wake.

And just then, a gasp was heard from behind the doctor and nurse, startling both of them out of their embrace.

"Where..." The voice was deep and fatigued, lacking emotion completely.

The young man on the bed across the room was beginning to sit up. He coughed violently, spitting up a dark liquid. Gina and Alex both knew it was blood.

"Where... am... I?"

Before his question could be answered, he coughed again. Blood splattered the bedsheets. Suddenly the young man fell back on his pillow, his lips stained with his own blood, and fell unconscious.

Alex gave Gina's shaking hand a comforting squeeze. It would be many long hours until the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

_Riverside Farmhouse_  
_Summer 4, 6:00 AM_

The incessant ringing of the old-fashioned alarm clock roused Nadia from her sleep. "Shut up," she groaned, shifting under the covers of her soft bed. "I'm coming."

A hand reached out from under the covers, groping for the alarm clock, but succeeding only in knocking it off of the nightstand beside the bed. Nadia groaned again when she heard the crash. That would have to be the third time she'd done that in a week.

As she sat up in bed, her eyes fell on the alarm clock, which had been reduced to a pile of pieces and mechanical parts on the floor. The main body of the clock was still intact, so she picked it up and put it back on the nightstand. Nadia stared in disbelief as she watched the second hand on the clock twitch back and forth, like the leg on a dying insect.

"Great," she grumbled, pushing the clock off the nightstand again. Anything that flimsy didn't deserve to survive.

Breakfast was pretty pathetic, as usual - blueberries and herbal tea - but it created enough energy for Nadia to kick-start her lazy self into the day. The moment she stepped out the door, silver watering can in hand, she was greeted by the smiling face of her next-door neighbour.

"G'morning, Ellen," Nadia said a little groggily. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Ellen smiled, brown eyes twinkling. "You look tired."

"Yeah," Nadia yawned. "Stupid rainstorm kept me up. And I kept dreaming I heard some ambulance siren... drove me insane!"

Ellen's eyes widened as she stared at her neighbour. Nadia cocked her head a little, like a curious puppy.

"What?" she inquired. "What's the matter?"

"Nadia," Ellen said, her voice reduced to a whisper. "That was no dream."

"What do you mean?" Nadia blinked, feeling more clueless by the second.

"It can't have been a dream... because I heard it too. Thought I was crazy or something, but..."

"I hope nothing bad's happened," Nadia thought aloud. "Maybe we should go check it out."

Ellen shook her head. "No... we shouldn't. Word spreads pretty quickly around here, we'll figure out one way or another what happened."

Nadia sighed. "So we're going for the word-of-mouth method, are we?" She nodded, supposing it was better than nothing. "We should talk to Gwen. She always has some kind of gossip to share."

Ellen agreed with a nod. "Yeah. I'll hang around the ranch until you're done with your chores, and then we'll meet up at the Perch Inn for a snack and a chat."

"Sounds good to me," Nadia replied, beginning to walk into her small crop field.

_If only the rain had stayed,_ she thought to herself as she looked out over the thirsty plants growing there. _I could have gotten so much other stuff done._

-----

_Junk Shop_  
_Summer 4, 9:00 AM_

Michael sighed with contentment as he took his place at the cash register, the shop open at last. Luckily, he and his daughter had been safe from the storm the previous night, without any crops or livestock that a farmer might have to worry about. He lived a simple life, despite the piece that had been missing from it for years.

A photograph hanging on the wall caught his eye. The face of an orange-haired, brown-eyed young woman smiled back at him, her beauty radiant even in a photograph.

_Angela,_ he thought, gazing into the still eyes of the woman he had once loved. _You would be so proud of our daughter... if only you could be here to see..._

Before the shop owner could finish his thought, a loud bang shook the building. Michael rolled his eyes, sighing as he turned to scold his daughter. She was an aspiring inventor, but she tended to blow up more would-be gadgets than Michael could handle.

As he turned around, Michael noticed something strange. Usually, after an explosion, he'd hear Ann's frustrated voice from around the corner...

He peered around the corner into Ann's workshop. Thick clouds of billowing smoke stung his eyes immediately, and he was forced to turn away coughing.

"Ann?" He choked back the smoke and peered into the room again.

No reply.

"Ann!" Michael was in a panic by now, fearing the worst. He couldn't see anything past the thick black smoke, and he struggled to catch a glimpse of any sign - anything - that his daughter was still alive.

As the smoke billowed through the doorway and into the other rooms of the Junk Shop, Michael found himself coughing violently, so much so that he was forced outside. He practically fell into the phone booth beside the shop, tears threatening to burst from his eyes as he dialed the Clinic with a shaking finger.

"Hello... yes, it's Michael... listen, I need your help now. Something terrible has happened..."

-----

_Riverside Farmhouse_  
_Summer 4, 10:00 AM_

The telephone rang at Nadia's house just as she returned from her farmwork. She blinked in confusion when she saw the Blue Sky Ranch appear on the call-display. As she went to pick up the phone, she wondered why Ellen wouldn't just come across the road to talk... she never telephoned... unless...

"Nadia?" Ellen's voice came, shaking with what sounded like sobs. "I'm going to be late - I have to lock up."

"Lock up? But Ellen, it's a Friday and nowhere near closing..."

"I know, I know, but..." The voice wavered a little, swallowing tears. "There's been an explosion at the Junk Shop and..."

"Oh, come on, Ellen. That happens all the time."

"No, Nadia. This time it's..."

A pause. Nadia felt her palms beginning to sweat.

Ellen gulped, then managed to finish her statement. "Ann's in the hospital."

----------

**Author's note:** In case you haven't figured it out, Nadia is the girl character from Magical Melody (Jill). Again, took some artistic licence on her, because obviously she doesn't have a heck of a lot of personality in the games.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hearty Lyla Gift Shop_  
_Summer 4, 10:08 AM_

"Goddess," Lyla sighed, rubbing her temples. "When is this going to end?"

She had seen the fire from the gift shop window, behind which she sat awaiting customers. She had never seen that much smoke come out of the Junk Shop before, and she had become even more distressed when she saw the flames beginning to lick at the building. She saw Michael stumbling out of the shop and into the telephone booth outside. And she had seen the efforts by the villagers to put out the fire. Now, the Junk Shop was half charred away, the blackened remains of the building's framework clearly visible from where she sat.

She pulled another tissue from the box next to her and wiped a tear out of her eye, smudging the black mascara she had spent so much time applying that morning. Without paying attention to this, she sobbed a little, thinking of the many people in Flower Bud that had been injured lately: her friend Ann, the girl called Dia, the mysterious castaway... even Joe, the lumbering idiot that he was.

There was a photograph on the wall of the gift shop that, while unnoticed by most customers, remained always in Lyla's sight. She turned her eyes upon it then, although tears threatened to flow as she did so.

A pink-haired girl stood in the middle of the photograph, smiling warmly. She was surrounded by friends - several girls her age, all with identical sunny smiles.

Slowly, Lyla stood, reaching out and grasping the photograph. She gingerly removed it from its frame, eyes falling upon the scribbled signatures on the back of it.

_Your friend forever,_  
_Maria_

_GWEN WAS HERE!!!_

_Friends until the earth blows up and I die,_  
_Ann!_

A bitter teardrop fell upon the last signature before Lyla could put the photograph down.

_I suppose you had no idea how right you would be, _she thought. _Ann..._

-----

_Workshop_  
_Summer 4, 10:34 AM_

"Kurt, what's wrong with you? You've barely spoken all day."

The young man with the camouflage bandanna sighed impatiently. "As if that's different from any other day."

"Geez, I was just trying to help," Joe shrugged, limping over to the workbench where Kurt sat gazing out the window.

"You know how you can help?" Kurt inquired, without turning his head to meet his brother.

"How?" Joe replied eagerly.

"Go away." Kurt said simply.

"Oh." Joe's heart sank. "Well, if there's anything you need me to do..."

"Just go," Kurt snapped at his brother, frightening him back to his own workbench.

Kurt stared out the window, his mind wandering as if searching for something...

...or some_one_.

"Joe, tell Woody I'm going on my break," Kurt said, standing up. "I'm going on a walk."

"Sure thing, bro," Joe said, giving a salute as his brother opened the door to leave.

Kurt stepped outside into the warm summer air and began the trek north to the Sanatorium.

_I have to see her again,_ he thought to himself. _Even if I have to lie to Joe and Woody to do it._


	9. Chapter 9

_Jamie Ranch_  
_Summer 4, 10:40 AM_

Jamie hung up the phone with a sigh. _Guess she's not home,_ she thought to herself, absently fidgeting with her necklace. _I guess I'll just go by myself today._

Adjusting her sunset-coloured poncho on her shoulders, Jamie took her house key in her hand and locked the door to the ranch house on her way out. She had left her sunhat behind, feeling no need to wear it. Sometimes it was nice just to feel the wind blowing through her hair, after all.

As she walked down the village road on her way to the Perch Inn, Jamie scrunched up her nose a little. Rather than the breath of fresh air she expected, the acrid smell of smoke twinged her nostrils.

_I hope nothing's happened, _she worried as she continued on her way down the path. _No, no, it's all right. It's probably just someone having a bonfire by the-_

Her thoughts were cut short as the Junk Shop came into view. Half of the town's beloved shop was now blackened and charred, only smouldering remains of what it had been.

Jamie stood staring, her blue eyes wide with fear and shock.

_No..._

-----

_Flashback: The City_  
_Winter 13, 1:24 AM_

A young girl huddled in the midst of what remained of a house, her cheeks stained with ashes and tears. What had been one of the most beautiful houses in that end of town was now disintegrated into mere charcoal, with the faint glows of embers still visible in some spots where the heat had not yet died down.

"There she is! Get her out of there!"

The girl recoiled in fear as two much larger men in thick, flame-proof suits came rushing towards her. She tried to stand and run, but stumbled and fell into the ashes which coated the ground. Embers hidden beneath the ashes came into contact with her skin, causing a rush of burning pain.

Her scream rang out through the cold night air, filled with pain and agony, as the firemen located her and removed her from the burnt ruins of the house.

The child sobbed, her tiny voice now audible to her rescuers. "Ma... M... Mom... Da... Dad..."

The one carrying her stopped short, a lump forming in his throat, for the pain of what had happened to the child in his arms was greater than any he had ever faced in his lifetime.

-----

_Flower Bud Village_  
_Summer 4, 10:43 AM_

Jamie squeezed her eyes shut tight and ran, as if the charred building would become a monster and rise up to kill her any moment. She dared not look back, she dared not open her eyes until she was out of the vicinity of the Junk Shop.

When she finally ceased to run, her muscles ached and her breaths were short. She stood across the bridge from the Perch Inn, trying to regulate her breathing again, trying to calm herself.

_It's over. There's nothing you can do._

A tear slid from her eye and landed on the dirt path, quickly soaking into the ground as if it was never there. Symbolically, Jamie trod upon the place where it had fallen, caging her pain inside as she approached the door to the Perch Inn.

_I won't let this destroy me._


	10. Chapter 10

_Sanatorium_  
_Summer 4, 11:00 AM_

Gina sipped her coffee shakily. Since the previous night, she hadn't been able to grasp the realities that had hit her so hard. Upon their reunion, her childhood friend was comatose; the mystery man was still slipping in and out of consciousness; Ann was near-death and covered in burns that would probably never heal completely. All of this was almost too much to handle.

She put down the steaming mug and twisted her ring nervously on her finger before going to attend to the newest arrival - Ann. Treating a friend always frightened Gina. It was as if she was afraid that someone would die at her hands, when she could have done something to help.

_Lyla must be in such pain,_ Gina mused as she looked upon the familiar face. What had once been a full head of bright orange hair was now a mess of burns and the remaining singed locks. _She used to be so vibrant... and now..._

"How is she?" came the soft, barely audible voice of Michael.

Gina turned to meet him, her golden eyes wide and serious. "Her pulse and breathing are stable. We've put her on painkillers, and will treat the burns with an ointment, but..." She sighed. "Her burns will probably never heal completely, and there's a slight chance that she might never..."

"Wake up. I know." Michael hung his head, seemingly willing to accept the morbid truth. "But there is always hope. That's what my wife taught me."

Gina gave a delicate smile, again fidgeting with her ring. "I'm afraid I must tend to the other patients. You may stay here, if you like... seeing as the damage to your home was great."

"I appreciate it," Michael replied.

The young nurse nodded and moved to the other side of the curtains where Alex sat monitoring the heart rate of the patient who lay there.

"Has there been any success finding his identity?" Gina asked, startling Alex a little as she sat beside him.

"We found this in his pocket," Alex said, handing a card to the nurse. "It seems to be a kind of ID."

"Aidan Silverwood," she read out loud. "That's odd..."

"What's odd?" Alex requested, eyeing her curiously.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken..." Gina blinked. "Silverwood is the surname of Nadia, our resident farmer. I wonder if they share any relationship?"

"It's a fairly common name among the city population, which is where she came from," Alex said. "Perhaps it's a coincidence."

"Perhaps," Gina agreed, quickly changing the subject and dropping her voice to a whisper. "Is Dia in stable condition as well?"

Alex looked at his feet. "Yes. But she isn't showing any signs of waking... I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Gina said, squeezing the doctor's hand. "I will go check on her."

"All right."

As Gina stood up to walk across the room to Dia's bed, there was a crash as the door flung open.

"Dia," Kurt gasped, as if he'd run all the way here from the workshop. "I need to see her."

-----

_Spring Farm_  
_Summer 4, 11:21 AM_

Nina, Liz and Basil had left the shop for a while in order to analyze the damage the crops had taken from the previous night's storm.

"Snapped supports on a couple of these tomato plants over here," came Basil's voice from amid what remained of the crops.

"I'll get them," Nina replied, as she was standing the closest to the farm's small shed.

Upon her daughter's departure, Liz turned to Basil.

"The Star Festival is coming up," she mentioned. "Is there someone you're planning on taking?"

Basil blushed. "Well... yeah," he said.

"Ah," Liz smiled. She loved seeing that generation grow up. "Who's the lucky lady?"

"Uh..." The pink on Basil's cheeks deepened. "Do you think maybe... Lyla would say yes?"

Liz' heart sank.

"I'm sure she would," she replied with a smile, although there was disappointment in her heart.

Liz went back to tending the corn plants, her mind wandering. Her poor daughter would be heartbroken when she found out that Basil would not ask her to the festival. Ever since that young woman Lyla had moved into town, the plant hunter had been completely smitten. At times, it seems that Nina's childhood friend had completely disappeared, his heart stolen away by the beautiful gift shop owner.

Liz liked Lyla quite a lot. Her maturity and capability was admirable, and it wasn't as if Liz could be angry at Basil for liking her. But Nina...

Liz sighed, watching as Nina skipped out of the shed carrying the supports for the tomato plants. She decided that, come the Festival, she would float a bamboo boat of her own despite the absence of her husband. For the first time since her husband's death, Liz would wish for her daughter's happiness, rather than her own.


	11. Chapter 11

_Perch Inn_  
_Summer 4, 11:39 AM_

"...and Blue's had the toughest time of all of us. He's so shaken up that he hasn't spoken since we got the news."

Nadia sipped her grape soda and sighed. "That's horrible. This whole thing... why Ann? Of all the people who could have been almost burned to death in a fire..."

Jamie choked on her own soda as Nadia spoke.

"You okay, Jame?" Ellen inquired quickly. "Here, I'll help."

"Don't-" Jamie coughed again. "I'm okay. I'm fine."

"Oh, good," Ellen sighed. "I was worried that you were going to end up in the hospital too."

Nadia shook her head. "That's the last thing any of us need."

Just then, Gwen walked up to the three friends from behind the counter. "Anything else for you guys?"

"Nah, I'm good. How 'bout you, Ellen? Jamie?" Nadia replied.

"I'm fine, thank you," Ellen responded.

"Me too," added Jamie. "We were just chatting. Care to join us?"

"Sure," Gwen said, before raising her voice to a holler. "Uncle Doug! I'm going on my break! Okay! Okay!"

Gwen sat down and John, the resident Saint Bernard dog, came waddling over as if wanting to listen in to their conversation.

Nadia took another sip from her soda glass. "You guys heard about the incidents?"

"Of course," Gwen said. "Poor Alex and Gina. They must not be getting any sleep, what with all the work they have to do... but the word is that they're hooked up now."

"Dating?!" Nadia yelped, startling Ellen and Jamie. "That's so great! They're perfect for each other, you know..."

"Calm down, Nadia," Jamie sighed. "You've got to remember that there's more important things we have to worry about."

"Oh. Sorry," replied Nadia, slouching a bit and drinking some more soda.

"Cousin Blue's in an awful state after what happened to Ann," Ellen said. "You'd think that a crush wouldn't be so painful. But he actually seems to have deeper feelings for Ann than I thought, and it's killing him."

Gwen gulped and shifted in her chair. "And with the Star Festival coming up, I guess he's devastated. He was probably going to ask her."

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, awkwardly sipping their drinks.

"The only funny thing that's happened recently is Joe stepping on that nail in the workshop."

Jamie, Ellen and Gwen chuckled at Nadia's comment, lightening the atmosphere for a moment.

"Speak of the devil," Jamie said as a figure became visible outside of the Perch Inn's door. It was the trademark (and heinous) bandanna, blue with white stars, that gave his identity away.

Suddenly, Gwen had disappeared, her chair sitting empty on the floor.

"Oh my Goddess! Where'd she go?"

"Psst! Right here!" came the reply.

"Gwen?" Nadia said, walking over to the counter to see her friend curled up in a ball behind it. "What are you doing there?"

"Joe's practically stalking me," Gwen whispered. "He's desperate for a date... and I _really_ don't want to go with him. So if he asks, I'm not here. Capeche?"

Nadia blinked, but gave Gwen the thumbs-up anyway and hurriedly sat back down at the table - just in time.

"What's shakin', ladies?" came the overly cheery voice along with the bell on the Inn's door.

"Not much," Jamie shrugged. "Unless you count the fact that half of the village has been hospitalized."

"Yep, I know. Terrible, isn't it? Say..." He paused and looked around. "Where's my favourite ponytailed chef? I wanted to talk to her."

"Oh, you just missed her," Nadia was quick to respond. "She's gone on a walk to pick some oranges for juice."

Joe cocked his head. "But I can smell her perfume. She must still be here."

The three girls sat for a moment, trying to come up with a way to divert Joe, when Nami appeared from her room.

"I'm wearing it," she said. "Gwen lets me borrow it because it's my favourite, but I can't get it where I live."

Joe blinked, both surprised and disappointed. "Oh. Well, I guess I'll be seeing you around then."

He sighed overdramatically, then turned and left, making the bell above the door jingle again.

Gwen slowly stood up, sighing with relief. "Whew. Thanks, Nami."

"Don't mention it," said the redhead. "It's the least I could do. Getting rid of pesky boys is my specialty."

Gwen smiled and sniffed the air. She turned to Nami and sniffed again.

"Nami," she inquired, "are you really wearing my perfume?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:** This is a longer "Star Festival Special" chapter. Things are starting to become unusual in the village as summer's first festival approaches. Read and enjoy!

----------

_Hearty Lyla Gift Shop_  
_Summer 7, 8:59 AM_

Basil adjusted his hat atop his head and took a deep breath. _One more minute_, he thought to himself as he checked his watch. _Okay, Basil. Deep breaths. You can do this!_

He heard the gentle click of the lock being opened. This was it - the big day.

"Morning, Lyla," he greeted the pink-haired woman who opened the door.

She gasped in surprise. "Basil," she replied. "You startled me."

The plant hunter took another deep breath and reached into his pocket, producing a gorgeous sapphire brooch. It was set in silver, and with the most pristine stone imaginable.

Lyla put one hand over her heart. "Basil! It's beautiful," she said. "But why...?"

"Uh, you see, I was wondering..." He gulped and blurted his question. "Would you like to go to the Star Festival with me?"

Lyla smiled, her happiness clear. "Oh, Basil! I would be delighted!"

She accepted the brooch and pinned it onto the front of her dress. The sapphire glittered in the sunlight.

"I'll meet you in the Square at sunset," Basil said.

Lyla smiled. "I'll be there," she replied, and disappeared back into her gift shop.

Basil grinned, practically walking on air as he left. _Wow._

-----

_Perch Inn_  
_Summer 7, 6:08 AM_

"So, what do you think? You, me, and a bamboo boat..."

"No."

"But Gwen -"

"Okay, Joe. I'm going to be straightforward with you. I. Do. Not. Like. You. And I'm not planning on attending the Festival with a date."

"Then who...?"

"Nadia, Nami, Jamie and I are all going together. We always do, it's sort of a tradition between friends. Besides, no one ever said you have to go with a date."

Joe hung his head. "So you'd rather spend time with them than the King of Hot?"

"Out!" Gwen's eyes flashed as she pointed to the door.

Joe scrambled out the Perch Inn's door without saying another word.

-----------

_Spring Farm_  
_Summer 7, 5:00 PM_

The sun began its dip below the horizon, tinging the skies a bright hue of coral. One by one, the couples began to appear along the river, placing bamboo boats in the water with their best wishes for good fortune.

Nina was not among them.

Face-down on her pillow, she sobbed continuously, wishing for this all to be over. She couldn't believe that Basil had betrayed her like this. After all the years the pair had spent together as childhood friends, Basil wouldn't even give Nina a second glance after Lyla came along. He was completely smitten, and Nina couldn't do a thing about it.

_Basil... if only you knew._

Nina took her father's old pocket-knife down from her shelf and flipped it open. She gazed upon its pale silver sheen in the sunset light, then pressed it against her wrist. The cold blade against her pale skin was her only friend now.

Without warning, Nina drew the knife's blade across her skin. She winced as blood trickled down her wrist, like a crimson stream. Bitter tears suddenly blurred her vision, and before she could think about what she was doing, Nina took the knife blade and made two more cuts in her wrist.

Watching the rivers of red flow down her arm, she sobbed and dropped the knife. It clattered to the floor, splattering tiny scarlet droplets onto the hardwood.

_What..._ She couldn't bear to look at the cuts on her arm, knowing how much she had hurt herself. _What have I done?_

-----

_Sanatorium_  
_Summer 7, 6:01 PM_

A lone young man sat next to the bed where a young orange-haired girl lay. Sunset's glow bathed the pair in warm golden light. It brought life back to her radiant face, he thought as he gazed upon it.

"Ann," he whispered, addressing the girl in the bed as if she could hear him. "I don't know if you hear me, but I want you to know I love you. Please hold on, Ann. I was going to go out for the Festival with the others... but it wouldn't be the same without you. And I promise I'll stay with you, for as long as it takes for you to heal."

He took the unconscious girl's hand and looked upon her face. She was beautiful, even in her sickly state...

Suddenly, Blue felt Ann's hand grasp his own. He heard her inhale softly, and saw her eyes beginning to open until a sliver of bright blue could be seen from underneath the lids.

"Blue," came the raspy whisper that Blue thought he would never hear again.

He squeezed Ann's hand. "It's okay. I'm here."

"Blue..." Ann whispered, noticeably weak and yet with a fighter's spirit deep within. "Thank you."

Elsewhere in the Sanatorium, a boy with a camouflage-patterned bandanna stood vigilant by the bed of the girl named Dia.

_She will wake up,_ he told himself. _I know it._


	13. Chapter 13

_Hearty Lyla Gift Shop, Lyla's Room_  
_Summer 8, 8:21 AM_

Lyla awoke, her head pounding with throbbing aches. _What...?_ She blinked several times before her vision came into focus, then stared.

Nothing made sense.

She remembered virtually nothing from the night before. The Festival... she remembered it was the Star Festival, and she'd had... such a wonderful time...

Then something came to her. _Where are my clothes?_

She rolled over in bed and nearly threw up.

_Oh, no._

On the pillow next to hers rested a very familiar head. That sandy-brown hair was unmistakable, even if it was normally covered by a hat.

Lyla shrieked.

The boy next to her woke with a start, banging his head on the headboard of the bed. "Gah!" he cried, rubbing his head. "What the hell?"

Lyla leapt away, quickly covering herself in her conveniently located bathrobe. "You! You... why would you? _How_ could you?"

"What... Lyla! Oh my Goddess, what happened?" He was scrambling to find his pants as he realized he was completely unclothed.

"Get out of my house!" she screamed, hysterical. "How _dare _you!"

"How dare me what? What's going-" Basil was cut short as Lyla's fist hit him hard and fast in the back of the head. Blood spewed from his mouth.

"You - you -" Lyla's normally soft eyes were flashing with hellish fire that Basil had never before seen in her. "Get out! NOW!"

Basil, dazed and confused that he was, tripped over a chair and hit his head hard on the ground. He coughed as he stood, tasting blood in his throat. Dots swam before his eyes. "If you would just - tell me -"

"You know damn well what happened!" Lyla yelled, kicking Basil in the chest. There was a sickening crunch. Basil felt his ribs break, and he coughed up more bright scarlet blood. "Why?"

"I - stop, Lyla! Please!" Tears came to the young man's eyes as he cried out in pain. "I'm leaving! Just - stop!"

He picked himself up and ran haphazardly out the door, through the gift shop and out into the heat of the summer morning. Halfway across the town square, Basil's muscles gave way. His legs buckled and he crashed to the ground, blood seeping out of several wounds on his body.

"Shit, Lyla..." he whispered before losing consciousness completely.

Lyla collapsed upon the floor into a sobbing heap, not bothering to lock the doors to her shop. She saw the blood on the floor that Basil had coughed up, and she shut her eyes, daring not to look at any trace of him.

_Why... why would this happen to me?_

-----

_Nadia's Farm_  
_Summer 8, 9:08 AM_

"Nadia!" Ellen cried to the girl who was watering her crops.

"What is it, Ellen?" she replied, nearly dropping her watering can at the sound of her friend's voice.

"Did you hear? The guy in the hospital... he's awake!"

"What guy? Who is he?"

"Calls himself Aidan Silverwood! I thought you two might be related, but I guess that's pretty unlikely, seeing as lots of people in the city have that last name and..."

Nadia dropped her rucksack and stared at Ellen. Her friend's words became mindless gibberish, until...

"Nadia? You okay?"

"Ellen," she said, without hesitation, "we have to get to the Sanatorium now."

"Why? What's wrong?" Ellen inquired, curious as ever.

"Because," Nadia said, gulping down tears, "I think... he's my brother."

-----

_Outside Sanatorium_  
_Summer 8, 9:22 AM_

"You never told me you had a brother, Nadia," Ellen said. "This is great! It'll be a family reunion!"

Nadia sighed. "Look, Ellen. Knowing Aidan, he's not going to want anything to do with me. Five years ago, before I came to Flower Bud, he left our family... said he was bored and fed up with his life. He took all the money he owned - and believe me, he'd saved up quite a lot - and went off to live in the fast lane. We haven't seen him since... and now, if it really is him, he'll be angry."

"For the Goddess' sake, Nadia, he should be happy to be alive after what happened to him. Just be glad you found him."

Nadia rolled her eyes as she opened the door. "Yeah. Right."

Gina and Alex were there to greet the two friends the moment they walked in the door.

"Good morning," Gina said quietly, but with a smile. "What brings you here?"

Ellen grinned. "Nadia came to see her b-"

Nadia put a hand over her friend's mouth and finished the sentence for her. "The guy who washed up on the beach in the storm... is he here? We heard that he woke up."

Gina looked at them curiously. "Yes, but..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "He's not in the best condition. Physically, he's fine, but he's angry for something. We think he lost everything in the shipwreck..."

"That's just like him," Nadia rolled her eyes and muttered to herself.

"Pardon?" Gina blinked.

"Oh. Nothing," Nadia smiled. "Come on, Ellen."

As they approached the bed on the far end of the Sanatorium, Nadia slowed her steps. She felt a lump come up in her throat as soon as she saw the face of the young man, whose wide blue eyes looked upon her with disdain.

"Aidan?" she whispered, moving closer.

He blinked, then narrowed his eyes at her. "Nadia."

"Oh, Aidan. Thank goodness," Nadia said, covering up her reluctance by opening her arms for an embrace.

"Don't touch me," he said, pushing her away. "I will never be like you. You wanted me to give up my life of luxury, but knocking me unconscious and putting me in a hospital here in the damn middle of nowhere - that's low. And if you think it'll convince me to -"

"You know what?" Nadia raised her voice a little, seeing red. "Why would I take so much time to help a scum like you? I gave up on ever seeing your slimy face again years ago. After what you did to me, Mom and Dad, worrying us almost to death, I don't think you deserve a second chance. As far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve a second chance. Go waste your money. Because when you end up on the streets, crying because you haven't eaten in days, I won't even give you a second look."

"Is something wrong?" Gina's voice suddenly interrupted them, its softness almost startling Nadia, who was in full-out heated argument mode.

"Just driving some sense through my senseless twin brother's skull," Nadia hissed. She grabbed Ellen's arm and practically dragged her out of the room, furious.

"Twin?" Gina called after Nadia. "Wait, Nadia! What did you..."

But Nadia had disappeared, leaving only the closing Sanatorium door.

"You're _twins?_" Ellen exclaimed.

"Yeah. But I don't want you spreading it around, okay?"

"All right," she agreed, pondering this matter for a moment. "He's kinda cute, though."

"Shut up, Ellen."

-----

_Town Square_  
_Summer 8, 10:01 AM_

Maria gasped.

She dropped the books she'd been carrying and rushed to the aid of the person she saw laying in the middle of the square. Though it hadn't been visible before, she could see up close that he was bleeding in several places, and had left a trail of red droplets down the path from which he'd come.

"Maria!" cried a voice which she recognized. "What's wrong?"

"Liz, thank goodness," Maria looked up at the older woman with fear in her eyes. "This guy was laying here... I think he's been attacked!"

Liz walked to the other side of the victim and took a peek at his face.

"Maria..." she whispered. "This isn't just some 'guy'... it's Basil."

"Basil?" Maria cried. "But why? Who would do this to him?"

"Listen, Maria, you go get Alex. I'll keep watching Basil and see if I can find out anything about what happened to him."

"Right," Maria said, dashing off and completely forgetting about her new books for the Library.

_This is complete déja vu,_ she thought to herself, remembering the horrible storm. _Is this ever going to end?_

----------

**Author's note:** This is the last pre-written chapter (I started this fic quite a while before I decided to put it on here) that I have. Further updates will all be brand-new, and may take me a while to write. So... watch this space, I guess! XD


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** Hugs and cookies go to Awesome Rapidash, kelley28, Kin756894, Ekoaleko, klutz586, and kiri268 for reviewing! Thank you so much, you people are awesome! hugs

I can't tell you people how sorry I am for not updating this in so long. Feel free to smack me for being completely lazy; I'd be happy to get some sense knocked into me. XD Anyway, enjoy this new chapter. (Also, if anyone has any pairing suggestions, regardless of what's happening already, let me know. It might provide me with more inspiration-juice later on. And yes, I AM open to yaoi/yuri pairings, just so you know.)

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Sanatorium  
Summer 8, 11:10 AM 

Blue awoke suddenly, realizing that his face was drenched in sweat. He picked himself up off of the cold tiled floor, attempting to recall where he was.

"Hey," a voice came from just above him. Blue recognized it immediately.

"Kurt?" he blinked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "What… where are we?"

Kurt smiled at the other boy, whose hat had fallen off in his sleep. "Sanatorium," he said. "You must have been awake until four in the morning. Alex would kill you."

Blue stood with a start, but found himself incredibly dizzy, and had to lean on Kurt for support. Kurt, however, seemed to not mind this. He steadied Blue, allowing him to stand on his own after a few moments.

"Sorry," Blue mumbled, brushing himself off casually.

"Don't worry," Kurt said. "I've had worse."

"Hmph," Blue shrugged, avoiding Kurt's gaze as he normally did. "So what makes you so cheerful this morning?"

Kurt said nothing, only smiled and motioned to the bed on the other side of the room. Rather than a lifeless, sleeping figure – Dia, Blue knew the name by now – his eyes met wide, emerald ones, finally opened and bright.

"Gina's been ecstatic," Kurt said. "Alex says that she's coming close to recovery. She can't speak yet… but we can all tell she's frightened of something. And she doesn't…"

"Doesn't what?" Blue found himself demanding.

Kurt sighed, gazing over at the girl, who was herself gazing out the window. "She doesn't like us. Except for Gina; she seems to recognize her… but I can't even go near her."

"Doesn't that upset you?" Blue asked, unable to hold his tongue.

"I thought it would," Kurt admitted. "But for now, I'm just glad she'll be all right."

"Yeah," Blue said, "me too."

Kurt turned his gaze over to the charred face of Ann. "And… how's she?" he muttered.

Blue was ashamed to notice that he'd completely forgotten about Ann during his conversation with Kurt. "Ann? I'm not sure," he confessed. "She woke up last night… but I don't remember much after that." He rubbed his temples anxiously. "I wish I could."

"Maybe you need some more rest," Kurt suggested softly, his hand resting on Blue's back, guiding him to the door. "Go home. I'm not planning to leave anytime soon, so if you need to come back, I'll be here to talk."

"Appreciate it," Blue grumbled sleepily, blinking a few times to focus on the door before he attempted to exit the building.

Kurt smiled in Blue's direction, then looked back at Ann and Dia. Both girls were now awake. Ann's confused expression caught Kurt's attention, and he walked to her bedside.

"Where's Blue?" she breathed. Kurt could tell it hurt her to speak.

"He's sleeping at home," Kurt said to her. "You should sleep too. It'll help."

"Okay…" Ann's eyelids fluttered, then shut, and she had drifted back to sleep.

Kurt sighed, and took a seat by a table at the back of the room. Alex, Gina, and Martha hurried in and out of the room, checking up on the patients, including Basil, who had been newly admitted. As much as Kurt wanted to know why Basil was there, he just assumed it was because of a poisonous plant he'd come into contact with, and shrugged it off – he couldn't ask anyone anyway; Liz had just left and the doctors were as busy as ever.

Without anyone to talk to, Kurt could only gaze out the window, occasionally catching Dia's eye before she turned away. He found himself unable to stop thinking about Blue, wondering how he was doing and when he would be back. He had to wonder at some points if he was actually all right himself; if maybe he should get himself checked for mental illness. No way would he ever think about Blue like that on a normal day… or anyone, for that matter.

Life could be so complicated. Especially, though Kurt would never say it to Alex's face, when you didn't have enough sleep.

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Spring Farm 

_Summer 8, 12:04 PM_

It was just after noon by the time Liz finally got home to the Spring Farm. She burst into Nina's room without thinking, and was surprised to find her daughter there, wearing a long-sleeved, dark blue top with a simple flower design on the front.

"Nina, you shouldn't wear that! It's blazing hot, you'll sweat yourself to death!"

"I'm fine," Nina lied – her mother was right, she felt the heat even more intensely under the long sleeves, used to disguise the fresh cuts in her wrists. "Why'd you barge in here, anyway?"

"Oh, Nina, it's Basil! He's…"

"I don't really want to talk to him right now," Nina interrupted, applying a coat of black nail polish to her thumbnail. Liz noticed it then, but decided not to say anything.

"He's not here," Liz said. "He's at the Sanatorium. He's been beaten, Nina, just outside Lyla's gift shop, and –"

"He deserves it," Nina snapped suddenly, startling her mother. "He was there last night, after the Festival, and Goddess knows what they did! The minute she opened that cutesy little shack, that bitch stole him!"

"Nina! How dare you talk about Lyla that way?"

"Try me!" Nina cried, anger boiling in her veins. "I've known Basil since we were kids. Lyla… I don't know what _she_ has that I don't! What's wrong with him? I thought…"

Suddenly, the fire in Nina's eyes was extinguished by waves of tears that spilled from her eyes. Liz walked over to comfort her daughter, but Nina stopped her.

"Don't, Mom," she begged, then finished her previous statement. "I thought he loved me."

Liz felt something pull at her heartstrings. She recognized it as pain, the pain of reaching the point where she no longer knew what to do. Without another word, Liz backed away from Nina, departed the room, and shut the door behind her.

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_Hearty Lyla Gift Shop_

_Summer 8, 12:11 PM_

Maria tapped on the already-open door of the gift shop, wide brown eyes scanning the small building for any hint of what had gone on that morning. The drops of blood that made a trail from where they found Basil continued into the back room, where Maria knew Lyla slept.

"Is anyone there?" Maria called, truthfully not expecting anyone to reply. But instead of her expectations being met, she was acknowledged by a sob and a weak voice.

"I'm here," it came, and Maria knew in an instant that it was Lyla's voice. She dashed into the back room without even thinking and found the pink-haired woman curled up in the corner, shaking, her eyes squeezed shut.

"Lyla!" Maria cried, dropping down to the floor beside her friend and placing her hand on Lyla's shoulder. "Goddess, what's happened? You look awful!"

Lyla sniffed, quivering at Maria's touch. "Basil – I – I didn't mean for anything to happen, I…"

"Did you see who attacked him? Oh, Lyla, I'm so glad you're all right!"

Maria was surprised when Lyla didn't answer – she was usually so open and honest. The pink-haired woman gulped, finding an uncomfortable lump rising in her throat. She coughed.

"Lyla, it's all right. Basil's safe, you don't have to ever see that happen again. You –"

"You don't understand," Lyla interrupted, fixing Maria with a serious gaze. "Maria… I did it…"

"What do you mean?" Maria inquired, taken aback by Lyla's comment.

Lyla gulped again, her body tensing. "I… Basil… I think we were both drunk…"

"Oh, no," Maria breathed, awaiting the rest of the explanation.

"I woke up this morning and… Goddess, Maria, this is a nightmare… I think we…"

Maria gasped. Lyla didn't have to say another word; she merely fell into Maria's embrace without saying anything else, shaking and crying with every bit of fear and uncertainty she had in her. Maria felt tears coming to her eyes as well, but fought to blink them back. If there was one thing Lyla didn't need, it was for her friends to crumple as well.

"I will never be able to trust a man again," Lyla managed to say after about five minutes, her breath quick and her words painful. "If they think they can just – take advantage at whatever opportunity –"

"Lyla, that's nonsense, you know not all men are like that."

"Is that so?" Lyla sobbed. "You remember Ray? He practically cheated…"

"That's not true!" Maria returned. This time the tears were hot and painful. "He didn't care about me, and he certainly couldn't be trusted…"

Maria slowed her speech; she realized that what Lyla was saying was very true for the both of them.

"Cheated on you with fish," Lyla whispered. "Worthless is what he was. Basil's the same. They cannot be trusted, I swear to the Goddess…"

Maria sighed, helping Lyla to stand. "Come on, Lyla," she said softly. "We should get you to the Clinic, to make sure you're all right."

"Only if Basil's not there," Lyla said coldly, brushing another tear from her reddened eye.

"Listen, I'll make sure you don't ever have to talk to him again, Lyla, just come with me. I've read about some of the stuff that can get transmitted during… you know…" She shook her head quickly. "And it's not pretty. Come on, we'll get you checked up."

Lyla had no choice but to comply as the two made their way to the Clinic, hand in hand, as if they were children again and all was right in the world.

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Moonlight Café 

_Summer 8, 5:58 PM_

Eve burst into the Moonlight Café just as Carl was finished wiping the tables. Her slender form crashed into one of the tables nearest to the door, knocking the salt and pepper shakers onto the hard wooden floor. The shakers smashed, tiny glass shards mingling with the spices that had been isnide them. Carl was just about to erupt with anger when he saw Eve's face.

Her eyes, though the irises were always reddish-pink, were almost wholly that hue now. Tears flowed in torrents down her blush-powdered cheeks, smudging the many layers of eyeshadow and mascara that had painstakingly been applied to her eyes. Spots of black and red, no doubt from the makeup, dotted the top of her red dress. Eve's blonde hair was coming out of its ponytail, falling about her face in an unkempt fashion, and she was breathing hard. It was apparent that she had run all the way here, and that she had indeed been crying.

"Eve, what's wrong?" Carl cried, offering a hand to help her up. She took it, and he felt an electric tingle, the same one he felt when he looked at her each day.

Looking Carl in the eyes, her body wracked with sobs, Eve spoke.

"Grandpa – Grandpa Terry," she managed, choking on her words. "He's dead!"


End file.
